


Ashes

by The_Zoni_Enthusiast



Category: Ratchet & Clank
Genre: Alternate Universe (AU), Character Death, Family Drama, Teen Ratchet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:54:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29673120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Zoni_Enthusiast/pseuds/The_Zoni_Enthusiast
Summary: The Lombax Society is in ruin. Fastoon has become a barren place with a race simply attempting to pick up the pieces and repopulate. The new generation lives in the ashes of the tragedy. Among the new generation is the lone orphaned Lombax who was put under the care of the shame of the Lombax race. And they do not always see eye-to-eye.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

Destruction.

All there was to see was destruction.

Explosions deafened those around as rumble was flung in every direction. Fires roared upon anything that dares sit in its path. The flames sprouted upwards until they licked at the skies. The sky as black as night with thick smoke that confiscated any freshness that the air had to offer. The sounds of coughs and imminent suffocation rung in the ears of many.

In the distance, laughing maniacally upon a mechanical throne, sat a vile creature taking pleasure in every life he took, no matter how young or old his victims were. The ground had become a minefield of corpses whose lives were ended much too soon. Families upon families of Lombaxes scurried away from the destruction in hopes of not becoming one of the deceased obstacles. Mothers held their crying children close. Fathers did their best to protect their loved ones. The Court of Azimuth was the only place to escape to. But how long it would last against the siege was still up in the air.

Regret flashed in a pair of eyes, watching the world crumble—red striped ears attempting to drown out the screams and cries echoing. Hands constricted into fists in anger at the actions leading up to this. Why didn't he listen? Why did he decide to trust a Cragmite with Lombax technology? He should have killed Tachyon when he had the chance. It was said in stories that the universe is a living being. One that lived and breathed like any other person. The personification went so deep as to bestow the universe a sense of humor.

If that indeed was the case...the universe had a truly cruel sense of humor.

**_"AL!"_ **

Alister, the regretful Lombax, felt a hand clasp onto the fur on his head and pull him downwards. Yelling in pain, he ducked, bullets flying over where he was once standing and striking a building in the distance. Alister took deep breaths and pulled the hand off of him, only to come to his senses upon seeing who the hand belonged to.

"Kaden…"

"This is no time to be just sitting here and watching! We're still in the middle of the evacuation! You need to snap out of it and help protect those taking refuge in the Court of Azimuth!" Kaden, a young orange Lombax, snapped at him. His fur had been singed in several places, and his armor was moderately battle damaged.

"I...right. Of course," Alister said with a nod.

"Good. Now, look alive. We have company."

The two Lombaxes looked up and into the eyes of heavily armored Drophyd soldiers. Wicked smiles were stretched across their disturbing fish faces, every single one of their sharp teeth showing. One, in particular, was howling with laughter as he reloaded his blaster. No doubt the one that shot at Alister. The Drophyd at first glared at Alister, taking aim once more in hopes that it would actually hit its target this time. But a more interesting target came into view.

A young deep orange Lombax came running past, a Lombax infant in her arms, crying as it became more horrified by the second. The Drophyds looked at each other, communicating via the bubbles in their helmets. Kaden and Alister watched cautiously, ready to be fired at. But a look of horror came onto their faces as the Drophyds grew wicked smiles once more and took aim at the fleeing mother. The woman screamed and held her child close as a single shot was fired in front of her, causing her to fall. She wrapped her arms around her child in hopes of protecting it from harm. The others prepared to fire at what they saw as an easy kill. The mother looked away, telling her child that she loved them.

The shot sounded...as it flew up into the sky.

"You lousy, repulsive, water-choking ingrates!" Alister yelled, using his Praetorian Omniwrench to hit the Drophyds arm upward to redirect the shot. The Drophyd stumbled from the force of the changed blast, Alister utilizing the opportunity to smack the glass helmet with the wrench. The helmet cracked and sprung a leak, the fish inside panicking as its method of oxygen drained. Alister kicked the metal body in the chest, sending the suffocating Drophyd onto its back.

"Gotta say, I do love some seafood!" Kaden said, following suit. He extended his silver Omniwrench and jumped on whatever Drophyd he could, smashing the glass helmet, so they became nothing but pathetic flopping fish on the ground. In the end, they had only defeated the four, but it was four less they had to worry about.

The two rushed to the female Lombax's side, Alister checking her for injuries. Kaden got lower in an attempt to check on the child. They were still crying, meaning that they were still breathing—a good sign.

"Are you alright?" Alister asked, gently helping her up.

"I-I...I think so…" she said, looking down at her child.

"And the kit?" Kaden inquired.

"I think she's okay, too. Just scared...I can't say I blame her." She looked around at the carnage surrounding them. She then turned to the other two. "Thank you for protecting us."

"We need to protect whoever we can right now," Kaden said. He put a hand on her shoulder and pointed forward. "Now go to the Court of Azimuth. You'll be safe there. Both of you."

"Right."

With that, the female Lombax ran off. Alister frowned as he watched her run, muttering to himself, "Please stay safe, Lorna…"

Kaden's voice snapped him back to the situation at hand, "We need to keep securing the perimeter until the evacuation teams finish evacuating the city. Let's go back and grab some of the other ground forces so we can-"

"I'm sorry."

The orange Lombax looked back at Alister, a look on his face, "What?"

"Kaden, I'm so...I'm so sorry. About all of this-"

"Alister, we don't have time for this-"

Alister snapped, "Don't you get it?! This is all my fault! We're watching our people get slaughtered right in front of us because of me! If I had just listened...if I hadn't given that foul Cragmite our technology-"

_"AL! This is not the time for this!"_ Kaden snapped right back, making Alister's ears go flat. Kaden continued, "You're right! This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't given Tachyon the technology! But do you really think sitting here and degrading yourself over your mistakes is going to fix any of this?! No! So snap out of it, charge up your wrench, and, if you really are sorry, kill any Drophyd that dare crosses your vision!"

The white Lombax took a step back. The thing was, he knew Kaden was right in every single way. They didn't have time for this. The more time he spent whining about himself, the more lives were being taken. But, still, he couldn't merely hold this all in. "I just...I...I'm sorry...and to think, the resources Tachyon used could have gone towards your transdimensional portal device. The research team was so close, too..."

"That whole project was just a theory, anyway. We don't know if we could actually accomplish it. But, I'll admit, it would be handy if we could just escape through a hole in space-time. But the time for theoretical thinking is over. We need to keep buying the evacuation teams time."

"Right," a flash of concern suddenly crossed Alister's face. "Do you know if your family…?"

"I...wasn't able to evacuate them personally. We didn't know how far Tachyon's attack would go. But I assume they're safe. Vida will protect our son with every fiber of her being," Kaden said, hiding the slight concern that came onto his face for just a moment. "Now, let's go."

The two young Lombaxes continued to secure the perimeter. The slightest sign of a Drophyd was quickly disposed of the moment they saw it. Explosions and flames still ravished the city as the unlucky ones were consumed in them. Despite knowing they were losing people, Kaden and Alister tried their best to save anyone caught in the crossfire between them and Drophyds. Their defense eventually led them back near the Court of Azimuth, where the Lombax Praetorian Guard was rushing any civilian inside for shelter. The soldiers saluted as their general drew near, reporting that the evacuation was still in progress.

Fearful Lombaxes were gathered inside the large reinforced building. Families huddling together in fear while people volunteered to support those hurting. Medics were issued to those injured with burns and bloody wounds. Food and water were passed out to those who needed them. And blankets were given to each family, which were mainly used on the frightened children.

After surveying the Court of Azimuth's population, Alister stepped back outside to check the recent reports. A young gray Lombax addressed the information on the communicator. "The evacuation teams are making progress through the city. Things have been rough here and there, and they're trying their best to avoid attracting attention. Though such a task can be...difficult. Overall, though, evacuation is over halfway complete, and the Guard is slowly yet surely closing in on Tachyon. But the Drophyd defenses are heavy."

"Thank you for the report. As we accumulate more citizens, we must put more soldiers into the defensive line around the Court. No one is to leave. Understand?" Alister commanded.

"Yes, general," the young Lombax saluted.

"Good. When we've achieved 75% evacuation, I want you men to form a new defensive line on the west-"

_"GENERAL! ANYONE! H-HELP!"_ A sudden voice cried out. Attention went to an injured white Lombax dawning evacuation team gear. Blood ran down his arm, and there were severe burns on his ears.

Alister stepped forward, but Kaden was already one step ahead of him. Kaden ran to the evacuation member and supported him with his arm and shoulder. "You're from the evacuation team. What happened? Where's the rest of your team?"

"Th-they're...I saw them…they..." the young Lombax ran a hand through his fur and gave a light sob. Kaden let him have a moment to gather himself. He continued, "We were...w-we were going through our evacuation process, but Tachyon infiltrated the inner-city already. When he saw us, he...I couldn't save them…"

Alister truly did have pity for this scarred Lombax, but he needed more information. "Where is Tachyon now? Where did he strike?"

"Tether Junction. His frontlines...Tachyon and his frontlines are at Tether Junction! We were too late!"

"Tether...Junction…" Kaden's eyes went wide. He looked at Alister, who knew exactly what he was thinking. He looked behind him in the direction of Tachyon's current attack. "Vida...VIDA!"

Before Alister could say anything, Kaden passed the injured Lombax off to one of the soldiers, activated his hoverboots, and accelerated off to the head of Tachyon's attack. Alister clenched his teeth and called after him, but it wasn't long before Kaden was already out of sight. The general activated his own hoverboots and prepared to give chase, but a blaster shot landing right in front of him stopped him in his tracks. Several Drophyd soldiers marched towards them, blasters aimed.

"They broke through the defensive line!" One of the soldiers called out.

"Stand your ground, men! Protect the citizens and the Court!" Alister commanded, firing an energy blast at one unfortunate Drophyd. However, while he appeared to be battle-ready, his mind was elsewhere. He kept looking at the city, the image of Kaden flying into the distance burned into his eyes. Looking around at the men he currently had present, he assessed their strength. Seven Drophyds...nine soldiers...if they played it smart, this battle could be won without him. He called out to a nearby soldier, "Listen up! You have these Drophyds outnumbered, so I'm leaving them to you! I'll be back!"

"But, sir-!"

"Do not talk back to your general! Stand your ground and fight!" Alister barked.

"Y-Yes, sir!" The soldier replied, flinching back ever so slightly at the harsh words.

With that, Alister activated his own hoverboots and, while dodging the crossfire, followed Kaden's path into the city. The smoke hit his eyes almost immediately. Water clouded his vision, and smoke clogged his lungs. Wiping his eyes and coughing, he tried to stay on the right road to Tether Junction. It was just like Kaden to drop everything and run into danger for his family. That Lombax loved his wife and child more than anything in the omniverse. The day his son was born was the happiest Alister had ever seen him. Sitting in the hospital next to his wife, holding the tiny hand of a Lombax who was the spitting image of him down to the color of his eyes. Alister had visited the day of the child's birth. It was that day he was bestowed the honor of being the boy's godfather. Kaden wore a smile for the entirety of the day. And while his son had only been part of his life for a few months, Alister knew Kaden would protect his son with his life. The white Lombax frowned. Perhaps if things had gone through with Lorna, he would know the feeling.

**_BOOM!_ **

An explosion in the distance. Alister could feel the force of it, even from there. He quickly took cover inside a crumbling building so he could survey the situation. Not an ideal shelter, but it looked a little stable. Something was off, however. Not the building, but the explosion. Alister looked at a nearby street sign. Shockwave Road. He looked back at the explosion area. If it occurred northwest of Shockwave Road, then it must have happened either near or in...Tether Junction.

"Kaden…" Alister muttered in a slight panic, his pupils shrinking in distress. He quickly activated his hoverboots and accelerated down Shockwave Road and right towards the direction of the explosion.

Bits of debris scattered the area, and flames roared as they laid claim to more of the city. Alister looked around frantically at the destroyed buildings and homes. Tether Junction was a peaceful neighborhood with many family businesses. But any bit of peace the junction had was now scattered on the ground or embers flaring up and sailing into the sky. Tachyon's frontlines had already moved on to another part of the city, it seemed, but the damage done to the junction had already been done. As Alister studied the damage done to the area, he began to fear for his friend. He activated his hoverboots once more and made haste towards Kaden's home.

Alister approached the home only to be in complete horror. The once pleasant home of his friend, a place with a friendly and welcoming atmosphere where they would play cards and chat and play with Kaden's son, was up in flames. Alister resorted to running, stopping at the entrance of the home. Smoke assaulted his eyes once again. Attempting to shield his eyes while looking into the house, Alister called out at the top of his lungs.

_"KADEN! KADEN, ARE YOU IN THERE?! VIDA! I'M HERE!"_

It was like the flames swallowed his voice and forbade it to reach anyone. Alister's heart began racing. He became short of breath. Calling them from here would be no use. Bracing himself and taking a step back, he charged into the flames, fur on his body becoming singed as a result. He covered his mouth and looked around. The heat of the fire yanked on his nerves, putting him in large amounts of pain. Trying his best to ignore it, he went deeper into the house. Everywhere he went, he saw nothing but flames. The house was being consumed. The living room, the kitchen, the bathroom, the backyard were all empty. However, when Alister stepped into the backyard, he heard something. Something unsettling. He stopped to focus his listening...it was familiar. Crying...he heard crying...a baby's cry. The white Lombax's eyes burst open and gasped. The nursery.

Alister charged back into the house and ran to the staircase. It was highly unstable, and most of the stairs were missing. Alister used his wrench to pole vault himself, boosting himself with his hoverboots, up the stairs in a hurry. The moment he landed, he sprinted to the nursery. The moment he opened the door, he saw the very thing he had been terrified about. Flames surrounded two bodies on the floor—a baby bawling beneath them.

"KADEN! VIDA!" Alister called out, fearing the worst. But, with the tiniest glimmer, one of the Lombaxes started coughing. Looking up at him was Kaden, who had become severely burned. He could barely keep his eyes open. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. Alister cried out, "Kaden! I'm here! I'll get you all out of here-!"

Alister took a single step forward, and it was all over. The structure of the house has become too weak, and the ceiling above them collapsed, bringing the floor beneath them with it. The last thing Alister saw was the look in Kaden's eyes. When he was brought down by the ceiling and dropped through the floor, he was knocked out immediately. He knew his chance of survival was minimal.

No one knows how much time went by after the house collapsed. It could have been many hours or many days. All Alister remembered was taking a sharp inhale and coughing up ash after regaining consciousness. There was much debris on top of him. Wooden beams and furniture weighed down on him. His entire body hurt. That came to him well before his sight or hearing came back to him. He took deep breaths but making no attempt to get up. It was pointless until he had all of his senses back. Speaking of which, the memories of the events that happened before the house collapsed came back to him like a tsunami. Kaden...Vida...the child...he saw them on the floor. But Kaden...Kaden had looked at him. He was alive then. No doubt horribly injured, but alive. Alister thought that if he had survived the collapse, perhaps Kaden did too.

"Waaaaah! Waaaaah!"

Alister's ears twitched as his hearing finally returned. A baby...a baby was crying. Though it hurt to do so, Alister rubbed his eyes and attempted to locate the child. But all he saw was debris. Taking a deep breath, he gathered whatever strength he had and pushed down on the ground, pushing himself up as debris fell off of him. He collapsed once due to the pain, but he was quick to try again. He wouldn't give up that easily. But pushing himself up made his head cloudy. There was an apparent head injury. He didn't know if he would be able to remain conscious for long.

Surfacing among the debris, Alister brushed himself off and struggled to get up. Not even the Praetorian Guard boot camp made him hurt this much. No doubt he was suffering from several broken bones and burns. But, despite the pain, he brought himself to locate the crying child. Dragging himself along the floor, he cleared away anything in his path with difficulty. But nothing was more difficult than having to witness what he discovered under another pile of debris.

"No... no no no..." Alister muttered as he uncovered a familiar pair of Lombaxes. However, unlike last time, he knew that both were deceased. As neither of them showed signs of breathing. And, after checking, no pulses. The general couldn't form words. He couldn't process what he was looking at. Or, rather, he didn't want to process it. He was staring at the corpses of Kaden and Vida. Two of his closest friends. A loving couple just starting their life together. He covered his mouth to stifle his sobs. He pounded the ground with his fist. He had been too late. Once again, he was responsible for the deaths of the innocent.

"Waaaaah!"

Alister's ears twitched as he was forcefully pulled out of his sorrow, remembering the crying child. He realized just who was crying. It was coming from underneath Vida. Hesitantly and with another stifled sob, Alister gently moved Vida's arms away to reveal a little orange Lombax kit. In some ways, he didn't believe it. The parents didn't survive, but the child did. Vida must have protected him the entire time, shielding the child from the dangers with her own body.

Alister stared at the child for a few moments. His orange fur was littered with ashes. He had scrapes and burns here and there, but no lethal wounds appeared to inflict the child. He was going to live. The child was...going to live. Carefully, Alister removed the child from the ashes and took him into his arms, but the moment he did, his consciousness began slipping away again, as he predicted. He attempted to fight it to stay with the child, but it was no use. His vision was going black. While his voice was hoarse and choked up, he managed to convey a message to the child.

"I've got you...you're safe...now...Ratchet…"

Alister's world went black with the Lombax baby still crying in his arms.

* * *

**Haha look, I made a new fic and it's funny because I already have several unfinished projects, and now I'm sad**

**So this is another AU, always love working with those. Basically, this is an AU where Alister himself has to raise Ratchet. The Dimensionator was never finished. And Tachyon was defeated before he could complete the Lombax genocide. I'm sure it'll make more sense later on. Maybe not. Depends on how well I can pull this off.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Alister didn't know when the rescue teams managed to find him. He didn't know that they were even able to dispatch rescue teams. The events of the tragedy following the death of Kaden were unknown to him. In honesty, he believed it was the end for him when he lost consciousness in the ashes of the burned house. But much to his surprise, his heart was still beating, and reality came back to him when he took a sharp breath in, choking on a tube that was in his throat.

Water welling up in his eyes as he gagged on the plastic tube running down his esophagus, his limbs flailed as he tried to pull it out. Blurry bright white lights assaulted his retinas through the tears. A brown blur came to his side and swatted his hands away, grabbing the tube itself and carefully removing it. Alister coughed and gagged as it left his throat, wiping away the drool now wetting the fur around his mouth. He took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself. He then noticed the small tubes in his nostrils providing oxygen for him, no doubt to help him breathe while he was unconscious.

Rubbing his eyes, flicking the water away, he tried to survey his surroundings. Everything was bright white, from the lights to the walls to the sheets he was tucked in with. Eventually, his vision settled on the person who had removed the tube from his throat. An older but brawny brought Lombax with silver stripes and equally as silver piercing eyes.

Alister squinted, recognizing the Lombax at his side, "G...General Mali...?"

"Azimuth," Mali replied flatly.

"Wh-what…" the white Lombax looked around more, his ears picking up the sound of a heart monitor and the drip of an IV bag that was attached to his wrist via another tube. His eyes widened a bit, "I know this place...this is Kupona Center Hospital."

"Yes. The rescue team that found you transported you here. You're lucky I was able to get you your own room."

"B-But how is this possible? Where's Tachyon? What happened to the Court of Azimuth? Is everyone okay? Are we still in danger?" The heart monitor started beeping rapidly as questions raced through Alister's mind and out through words. He stopped when Mali grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes.

"Calm down, Azimuth! I cannot answer your questions if you have a heart attack."

Alister took deep breaths, but it was quite a few moments before he finally relaxed a little. Mali was right. Being frantic wasn't going to get him anywhere. "R-Right, sir...my apologies."

"Now, let's take it one step at a time."

The panicked Lombax spat out the first question on his mind, "What happened while I was out? Where's Tachyon?"

Mali put his hands behind his back and glanced at the window. "When Tachyon discovered that the Court of Azimuth was the primary shelter for the evacuation, he changed the course of his attack and headed straight towards it. I suppose he couldn't help himself when it came to an entire building of defenseless Lombax families. But we had been prepared."

His face grimaced for a moment before he continued, "In a way, I suppose the Court was used as unintentional bait. But it worked. Tachyon came running. When he and his army arrived, we put the Court on maximum lockdown and unleashed our attack. All defensive lines unleashed a unified attack. The fighter pilots attacked from above with upgraded ship Warmonger missiles, and the ground team attacked with every weapon available in the arsenal. Tachyon may have had us outnumbered, but we had him outgunned. In the end, it was a messy victory for us. With gun shells littering the ground, Drophyd bodies charred to a crisp, and Tachyon collapsed in his throne from a Plasma Striker shot through the head."

"I see. Who had the honor of taking Tachyon out?" Alister asked, barely processing what he was hearing. At this point, he would be asking questions just to keep his mind grounded. So much information and news to take in...it was almost overwhelming.

Mali had the slightest smirk on his face. His hand opened up, and the outline of a weapon formed before materializing in a flash of light. A Plasma Striker. He opened up the bullet chamber and presented it to Alister. The white Lombax squinted and counted the contents. The Plasma Striker could hold up to ten bullets. There was only nine present in the chamber.

"One shot was all that was needed. And I don't have the habit of missing my target," Mali said, popping the chamber back in and the weapon dissipating away into light particles.

"So...we really were victorious. That's wonderful to hear-"

"We are in no position to celebrate," the elder commander said sharply, his eyes glaring at Alister.

The white Lombax sunk into his hospital bed, ears dropping. Flashes of the field littered with Lombax corpses flashed before his eyes. He already felt ashamed. This really wasn't the time to celebrate. So many lives were lost. He looked up, daring to ask the question, "How many did we lose?"

Mali sighed, folding his arms and recalling the numbers. His ears dropped slightly as he recited the information he had been giving in the lastest briefing. Whether the numbers he remembered were correct or not, it wasn't good. "We did a sweep of the planet, saving whoever we could. But it was obvious to us that the Lombax population suffered a heavy blow. If I recall correctly, we lost around...90.6% of the population."

Alister leaned forward, his IV tube tugging at his wrist, " _ **What?!"**_

"With the current numbers we have, we have now been labeled as an endangered species. Under Polaris law, Fastoon will become a protected planet used for the preservation of the Lombax race. We can still conduct business with other planets for exports and imports. But no one under the age of twenty-one will be allowed to leave the planet. And even then, leaving the planet is highly unrecommended."

"No...no no no no…" Alister put his hands on his head, dragging them down his face. He knew the damage was severe, but he didn't think that...for so many people to lose their lives...it was clawing at him from the inside. Things were becoming harder to process. "So much has happened...how long was I even out for?!"

"It's been about five days since you were brought in. When asked about your whereabouts, some of the defensive line soldiers explain that you had gone to Tether Junction. They said they found you in the ashes of a burned-down house. It was there that they found-"

Alister's eyes became strained as the memory came flooding back. He had been so busy learning about what he didn't witness that he had pushed out what he did witness. Fire. Screaming. Collapsing. And the look on that face. The face of…

"Kaden…" he muttered, clamping the sides of his head as tears began to burn in his eyes.

"The soldiers said that you chased after him. But, when he found you all, it was...too late. For Kaden and Vida," Mali spoke with a disappointed tone.

"K-Kaden...no…" Alister gasped as another image flashed before his eyes. A little Lombax crying out of fear, being held in his arms. Ratchet. "Wait...wait, the child! Did they find a child when they found me? One that looks just like Kaden?"

"As a matter of fact, they did. The poor lad was injured, filthy, and starving when they brought him in." Mali saw the horrified look on Alister's face and was quick to dismiss the worst-case scenario playing in the panicked Lombax's mind. "Don't fuss. He's alright. He's being taken care of in the nursery."

"Oh, thank the stars…" The white Lombax put his hands in his face, feeling a bit of relief for once. In the end, he had managed to save someone dear to him. "If I had lost him too...I-I don't know…"

But Mali did not share in the relief. The brawny Lombax's voice became much more stern as he wished to come to a point with his meeting of Alister when he woke up. Even though they had one, there was still a glaring issue that had to be dealt with. "Many families have lost their loved ones to the attack. Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends...it hasn't been easy for any of us." He looked back and glared at Alister, his voice as sharp as a knife, " _You_ didn't make it easy, Azimuth."

Alister flinched, knowing that this was going to be brought up eventually. After all, the entire incident was his fault. He was the one who gave Tachyon full access to restricted and confidential Lombax plans and technology. The field of Lombax corpses, the horrid destruction, the population decline, and even the death of his best friend...it was all his fault. He knew that there was no escaping punishment. What that punishment was, though, was what he was most afraid of.

He looked at Mali with great shame and guilt, putting a hand on the back of his neck, "I know I screwed up. I know that much of this is my fault. I am ready to receive my punishment from you, whatever it may be."

"You are mistaken. I am not the one who will be giving you your punishment."

"Then, who-?"

"When you recover, the elders wish for you to appear before them for your trial and judgment. It is there that you will face your consequences in front of your own people. What your sentence will be, I have no knowledge of. But the people have made their opinions clear."

That statement did not sit well with Alister, "The people?"

"It did not take long for word to get out that you were the one who gave Tachyon the power to destroy the Lombax race. Many are saying that you should get a life sentence in Zordoom prison. Others say that you should be exiled on an asteroid on the outskirts of the galaxy. And some... _passionate_ folk…" Mali looked Alister right in the eye with a straight face, passing on the people's hopeful sentence, "wish for you to be publicly executed."

Alister put a hand on his own throat and gulped. He didn't realize that the word of his unintentional betrayal had already gotten out. He guessed it had been passed around by the soldiers and got into the public's ear. What made him the most nervous was that any of those sentences could become a reality. So much blood was now on his hands because he simply refused to listen to the other's warnings. Because he refused to listen to _Kaden's_ warnings.

This was becoming much more than a mere mistake. It was something he couldn't cover up or fix. The blood would remain stained on his hands for the rest of his days. The shame of the Lombax race...that was what he was. Families had broken apart, loved ones lost, children orphaned...it was all because of him. Tachyon may have been defeated, but the Lombaxes were not victorious. Alister's actions had dragged them down into the fiery pit of failure. Maybe he did deserve to be publicly executed.

More tears burned in Alister's eyes, and he grabbed his ears out of frustration, "Why? Why?! Why didn't I just listen to you all? To Kaden? If I hadn't, then we wouldn't...Tachyon would have never... _ **AUGH!"**_

Mali sat there and let Alister have his little breakdown. He had seen much worse in the past five days. And it wasn't like Alister was telling any lies to himself or trying to pass the blame onto others. This was the frustration he needed to get out. Holding it in wouldn't have done him any good. But it was after a minute that Mali decided to speak up again, "I will be at your hearing, as well as some of the other generals and soldiers. I'm not saying we'll be there to support you, but even with mistakes, we're all still brothers in arms."

"That...I...thank you, for saying that, general," Alister said, wiping one of his eyes.

"However," the elder's voice going back to its sharper edge, "do not expect pity out of us, Azimuth. You betrayed our race. You turned your back on us and decided to do things your way, no matter how many warnings we gave you. Your actions put our lives in shambles. So whatever your sentence may be, know that you deserve it."

The younger Lombax winced at Mali's words, each one cutting deeper than the sharpest of knives. He shrunk as he lowered his head. "Y-Yes...of course...general Mali, sir…"

Mali huffed before his communicator went off. After checking his notifications, he put his military hat back on and headed towards the door. "I must be going now. A cargo ship of food donated by the Fongoids on Quantos has arrived at the shelter in the Court." The brawny Lombax looked at Alister with a hard stare, "May the stars have mercy on your unfortunate soul, Azimuth. I will see you at the hearing."

With the slam of his hospital room door, Alister was left alone with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company. And that was the last thing he wanted to be alone with. The heart rate monitor picked up as he slowly let everything finally sink in. His race was almost extinct, his home was in ruin, the public wanted him dead, and his best friend was gone. He was overwhelmed. In this situation, many people would have a panic attack. Others would simply lay down and feel nothing at all. But, for Alister, he could only do one thing and one thing only.

With his mind paused on the look on Kaden's face before his demise, Alister brought his knees to his chest and sobbed. He didn't know what laid before him in the future, but he was afraid. But there was one thing that he could not deny.

The judgment by the elders would be his end.

* * *

**A lot of dialogue in this chapter, but it's more a transition chapter than anything. Nice catching up chapter to learn what happened while Alister was out of commission.**

**Thanks for reading! See you next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

The days leading up to the trial were possibly the longest days of Alister's life.

No one came to visit him. General Mali's presence after he had woken up was all that Alister had gotten. Even when the nurse or doctor came in, they displayed a cold distance from him, not interested in anything other than the information they could add to his chart. Nothing aside from the burns or cuts he had received from the tragedy ailed him. As he recovered, they came much less often. Alister ended up spending endless hours alone with his thoughts, which weren't things he wanted to listen to in the first place.

The safe and healing atmosphere of the hospital room faded overtime. Instead, it had become Alister's personal purgatory. A white room where his unfortunate soul laid, trapped without knowing what sort of fate he would face. The moment he was discharged, he would be sent to trial before the elders, where he would receive his judgment and punishment. Not knowing the severity of the sentence was what Alister feared the most. It could be something as simple as losing his career in the Praetorian guard or something as brutal as a public execution. Whenever he thought too hard about the latter, he would gulp and rub his throat, wondering if the breaths he was taking would be some of his last.

The day came that the doctor came in and began to clear his chart. Usually, this would be something to celebrate, as any patient would be happy to leave with a clean bill of health. But to Alister, it was something he was dreading. Despite feeling trapped, every moment in the hospital meant another moment without having to face his crimes. The trial had been looming over him like a grim shadow ever since Mali told him about it. Alister couldn't hide it from himself: he was scared. As a general, he knew that he had to be prepared for any situation and face it with courage and honor. But where was the honor in this? How could he be courageous in the face of his disgusted and hateful peers? There were some things all the training in the universe couldn't prepare him for. And receiving his discharge papers after six days in the hospital began to prove that.

Even simply walking down the hallway, Alister could feel the anger of the Lombaxes around him. His fur stiffened at every nasty glare he caught. It seemed like an understatement when Mali told him that word had gotten around about his unintentional betrayal. Every nurse, every doctor, every patient, they all radiated hatred towards Alister. But he knew that this hatred wasn't unjustified. Nothing about the claims made about him were lies. He knew that whatever his judgment was, he deserved it. Countless lives were taken, loved ones lost, homes destroyed...it was all due to his actions. He did not blame the others for being angry.

One step outside the hospital doors, and Alister could already see someone waiting for him. General Mali himself, standing in front of an entourage of military vehicles loaded with soldiers. Behind him, a single black hovercar with tinted windows, the back door open and calling Alister's name as he stared into it.

"Mali…" Alister said, almost as a greeting.

"It's time, Azimuth. The elders are waiting at the Court of Mali," the bulky general said with a nod.

The white Lombax's eyes widened, "Court of...Mali…?"

"Due to recent events, the elders found it necessary to rename the Court of Azimuth. For my services during the tragedy, they saw fit for the Court to be named after my likeness instead. I was resistant, but when I noticed how insisting the elders were, I begrudgingly accepted. I am not one for having things named after me, as protecting the citizens is awarding enough for me, but I respected their viewpoint and decision."

Alister felt part of himself shatter. His blood ran cold as he held onto one of his arms, ears lowering, "Y-Yes...of course...I just-"

"No time for feeling sorry for yourself, Azimuth. Get into the vehicle. It's best to not keep the elders waiting."

Alister could feel his feet freezing in place as the warm interior of the hovercar seemed to emanate the cold call of his demise. Despite this, with every fiber of his being resisting, he took a step forward. And then another. Soon, Mali put a hand on his back and gently helped him along into the car, ushering him to the farthest seat as Mali took his place on the opposite end. With the door slam, one of the soldiers called that it was time to move out, and the military escort began.

Today was a cloudy day in the city. The sun attempted to peek out from behind the clouds but to no avail. But, as Alister looked out the window, he realized that there was not much for the sun to shine on. Although the repair and rebuild process had begun, the damage left by the tragedy was a glaring scar on the city and land. Buildings demolished, homes burned to the ground, fields torn up, blood staining the soil, it was a most depressing sight. Many tents and shelters had been set up for now homeless families, which there was an abundance of.

People of different species were present to drop off donated resources from their own planets. The Fongoids were the only ones who sent resources without visiting the actual planet, but their food and cloth donations were considered most valuable. Terachnoids came with technology for the Lombaxes to use to help rebuild the advanced society. Vullards came with spare parts for construction, as Lombaxes were renowned engineers. Even some kind hearted Agorians came to offer weapons to the military. While they weren't exactly a caring species, they appreciated nobility, something that the Lombax race embraced.

The kindness and unity of the other races were so heartwarming that Alister almost felt the slightest urge to smile. But driving past the smoldering remains of Tether Junction diminished all joy that he dared to even begin to feel. What was once a cozy neighborhood teeming with playing children and happy families was now a wasteland of building parts and ashes. Alister put his hand on the window, tears just barely rising into his eyes as he thought about the fateful night of Kaden's death. How he had come so close to saving him. If he had just been faster. If he had gotten to him before he went upstairs. If he had just...listened about Tachyon. Alister sighed. All the lies and comfort in the world would convince him that Kaden's death wasn't his fault. Not that anyone was offering it to him. Even general Mali, someone he considered a friend, was speechless during the car ride. Essentially giving Alister the cold shoulder, not even offering the white Lombax a word of wisdom or even a sympathetic glance.

It wasn't until they pulled up in front of the renamed Court of Mali that the brown Lombax turned to him and finally spoke. But the words also came with a bundle of clothing in his hands, "We are here. Put these on. It's improper to appear before the elders out of uniform."

Alister took the clothes into his hands. His brown and orange beta Holoflux armor. It was what he was wearing when it all went down. The white Lombax nodded, "Thank you, sir."

"I'll be outside the door. When you are ready, I will escort you inside." Mali turned to the door and grabbed the handle, pulling on it slightly but hesitated to open it. After a silent moment, he muttered, "Good luck, Azimuth."

Alister's ears lowered as Mali exited the vehicle and proceeded to stand guard outside. There was already a crowd gathered outside, but the soldiers gently herded them back to form a pathway into the Court. Alister could feel his hands trembling as he changed into his general uniform. His heart felt like it was going to explode at any moment from how fast it was beating. Sweat dripped under his fur as it stood on end. He took deep breaths as he began to tremble slightly. Trying to convince himself that getting worked up wasn't going to help him at all, he changed into his outfit. The orange emblem on his chest glowing with a soft light, but he couldn't find any comfort in it. Nothing could provide him comfort at this moment. Not when his fate was a single stroll away. Alister looked at the door behind him. Guarded with soldiers. Running wasn't something he considered, but knowing it wasn't an option somehow made him more nervous.

Enough time had passed. Mali was right; making the elders wait wasn't going to help his case. Swallowing his fears and doubt, or at least whatever of them he could hide, Alister opened the car door and stepped out. Mali silently urged him to follow, taking the lead as a group of soldiers followed behind, boxing Alister in. As expected, Alister was met with the hate of the watching crowd. A wave of insults and threats were thrown his way, many claiming that the blood was all on his hands. Rocks and dirt were thrown at him, but the soldiers blocked them with their holoshields. Still, Alister flinched with every impact. He kept his head down but his eyes forward as he attempted to block out the sound of the angry mob. But, if he dared to speak, the only words he would say were 'I'm sorry.'

One particular Lombax caught his eye. Ashe was escorted into the building, he caught sight of Lorna and her infant daughter. There was no look of hate on her face, only one of sadness and disappointment. Alister wanted to say something, anything, to her, but before he could even open his mouth, the doors closed, and all spotlights were on him. Everything went silent. General Mali and the soldiers marched off to the side and took their place, leaving Alister alone on a round wooden platform. Before him upon wooden stands stood four elder Lombaxes. Each one recognizable to any member of the Lombax society, as each represented a crucial part of their people.

A gray Lombax with pale blue eyes and white stripes who represented the people, Elder Pulus.

A reddish-brown Lombax with amber eyes and deep brown stripes who represented the land of Fastoon, Elder Terr.

A deep orange Lombax with brown eyes and red stripes who represented fairness, Elder Salvi.

And a white Lombax with piercing green eyes and black stripes who represented security, Elder Lutem.

Each one held within them a kind heart that cared for every member of the Lombax Society, no matter how young or old. However, Alister could sense very little caring in their hearts as each one looked down on him, donning their brown judgmental robes with golden trim. It was incredible how intimidating these older Lombaxes could be. Before them in Court was the last place any Lombax wanted to be.

"State your name," Elder Pulus said with a firm voice, contrasting with his usual softness.

Alister attempted to stand up straight, but he might as well have been wearing his nervousness on his sleeves. He took a deep breath before announcing, "Alister Azimuth."

"Alister Azimuth…" Elder Salvi stepped forward, holding a communicator pad in his hands. He cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses as he read the contents of the screen, "You presented before us for the crimes you have committed against the Lombax race. The crimes being: giving the untrustworthy Percival Tachyon access to our technology and military equipment without authorization and against all warnings, leading to the travesty that fell onto our people and the deaths of countless Lombaxes. Because of your actions, the Lombax Society has suffered a devastating blow to its population, and many cities and, by extension, the homes of many Lombax families have been decimated. How do you plead?"

Alister was surprised by this question. Were they actually allowing him to claim that he was not responsible for this incident? The opportunity to simply throw all of the blame onto Tachyon and plead innocence upon himself. The white Lombax softly chuckled in his own mind. As if they would ever buy that. He knew that this was a test. To see if he had the guts to live up to his own actions or if he was cowardly enough to point fingers at the deeds of a criminal tyrant that killed so many innocent people. There was no way to avoid what he had done. He had trusted Tachyon with that technology. He wasn't foolish enough to even pretend to be somewhat innocent.

Still, it made his fur stand up once more as he announced to the elders, "Guilty."

"A smart plea. There is no denying what you have done to the people of Fastoon," Elder Terr said with a nod.

"And with that plea, the rightful punishment will be bestowed upon you, Azimuth," Elder Lutem said sternly.

This was the part Alister was most terrified about. Something he had been terrified about ever since Mali told him about the trial. His being alone with his thoughts in the quiet hospital room made him think of awful things that would be done to him as punishment for his crimes. The public calling for his execution certainly didn't help his nerves. There was no end to the creativity that his imagination produced. Life in Zordoom prison in solitary confinement, exiled to a barren asteroid far off in space where he would slowly starve, even a public hanging crossed his mind once. It was enough to send shivers up his own spine. He would tell himself he was ready to hear it, but that would be a lie.

"But before we announce the punishment of your heinous and foolish crimes against our people, have you anything to say for yourself, Azimuth? Anything to say to us, your elders? Or your military peers? Or the ones in mourning from the loss of their loved ones?" Elder Salvi asked, breaking Alister's dark thoughts. "Speak now if you have something you wish to say about your actions."

Alister was caught off by this. They wanted him to say something? Right now? Something to reflect what he thought of his actions. What he thought of the destruction of the place he called home. Something to say to all of the families he shattered with his own foolish decisions. Saying nothing wasn't an option. No. In his mind, there was only one thing he could say. Something to say to all of those hurt by his misplaced trust. Something to say to his comrades who fought in the tragedy. Something to say to Kaden.

"I'm...I'm sorry…" Alister said sincerely, looking around at everyone around him, "I'm so...so sorry."

The room went silent, some of the soldiers turning to look at each other. General Mali not batting an eye. Alister looked back at the elders, who stared right back at him. Elder Pulus was the one to speak up, "We understand that you have extreme remorse for your actions, Azimuth. But we cannot simply ignore what you have done. A punishment will be put in place."

"I understand," Alister said with a nod, his ears lowering.

"However," Elder Lutem continued from Pulus, "there is still a responsibility that you are required to carry in our society that we also cannot ignore."

The white Lombax looked up, genuinely confused, "P...Pardon?"

Elder Salvi raised his communicator pad again, "We are aware of the unfortunate deaths of Kaden Stellae and Vida Stellae. And while we mourn their passing, there is still one thing that needs to be addressed: their now orphaned infant son."

"Ratchet…?" Alister muttered.

"It has come to our attention that shortly after the birth of Ratchet Stellae, you, Alister Azimuth, were declared as his godfather. We confirmed in your files that you are indeed the boy's guardian, as granted by his father," Elder Terr said, holding said files in his hands. "While our original plan for your punishment was an exile from Fastoon and being forbidden to come into contact with the Lombax race again, given this information about Kaden's son, we have...reconsidered."

Alister felt a jolt in his heart. So exile was the plan. While it wasn't as brutal as he thought it would be, it still pained him to think about it. Roaming Polaris alone, never to speak with a Lombax again. The very idea made him shudder. But he didn't know whether to be more nervous about the reconsidered punishment or not.

Despite the worry on Alister's face, the elders continued. Elder Salvi decided to be the one to deliver the news of the reconsidered punishment, "You shall remain with the Lombax race, but for your crimes, you will be stripped of your general rank and retired from the Lombax Praetorian Guard. You shall instead work with us elders on the front of rebuilding the cities of Fastoon. You shall also be restricted from all military technology and heavily supervised around our more advanced technology.

Even though it was a much lighter punishment than before, Alister couldn't help but feel devastated. All those years of training, fighting to prove himself on the battlefield and climbing up in the ranks from a lowly soldier to general...they were all gone in an instant. Being stripped of his status was terrible enough, but being forced to retire was the icing on the nasty cake. Everything he had worked towards in his life was slipping through his fingers and off into a dark abyss that he couldn't reach into.

Elder Salvi wasn't finished, however, as there was the last matter to attend to, "On top of that, the orphaned Ratchet Stellae will be placed into your care. As his godfather, you shall raise him as if he were your own. You will be responsible for him until he turns the age of eighteen."

Alister's ears shot up upon hearing this, "What?! Raise...r-raise Ratchet? I...I don't think-"

"I highly suggest that you do not fight against this, Azimuth. This boy is the only reason we reconsidered your exile. I think you should be very grateful for the opportunity. You are not in a position to complain," Elder Lutem snapped, making Alister flinch.

"Y-Yes, elders…" Alister said submissively. He understood that it was his responsibility to raise Ratchet, but he didn't have any paternal instincts. He didn't know a thing about raising a child. Was this really something he was going to have to improvise on? Parenthood was something else that no training could prepare him for! And the elders weren't going to give him time to prepare.

"So it's settled. Ratchet will be placed into your care, and you shall retire from the Praetorian Guard to help rebuild Fastoon. All in favor?" Elder Pulus called out.

"Aye!" The other three said in unison.

"It's decided, then."

At the sound of a gavel hitting the wooden top of the stands, the Court was adjourned. Alister honestly didn't know what to do with this situation. It was all happening so fast. The stress from it all was already rendering him exhausted. The future was as blurry now as it had been before the trial. He put a hand on his head and took deep breaths, his life being turned upside down before his eyes. What would come next? What was he going to do now?

"Ah! Ah!"

The white Lombax's ears twitched as he heard the ramblings of what he assumed to be a Lombax kit. He quickly turned around and gasped as he saw the spitting image of Kaden in the infant Ratchet, currently being held by General Mali. The general offered the child to Alister, who simply stared for a few moments. He could feel himself becoming stressed. And the child...the way he looked like his father was almost haunting now. It was then that Alister realized that the elders were still above him, watching. With a single gulp, Alister took the child into his arms. General Mali put a hand on his shoulder before walking away, leaving Alister alone with Ratchet.

Alister looked down at Ratchet, who stared back at him with those familiar green eyes. He tried his best to look happy for the infant. This child was his second chance. His ticket to trying to go back to living a somewhat normal life with his people again. The least he could do was smile for the young lad. But, looking at him, there was one thing he couldn't get over.

"You, my dear boy, look just like your father." It was then that his smile faded, taking his first step into his new life, "...and that is what bothers me the most."

* * *

**So just a little insight on the Elders' names, they're all derived from their respective Latin representations**

**People = Populus**

**Land = Terra**

**Prejudice = Salvis**

**Safety = Salutem**

**And for Kaden, Vida, and Ratchet's last name**

**Stellae = Stars**

**(This has been your Latin word lesson for the day, that'll be five bolts, please.)**

**Next chapter is a fifteen year time skip. Sorry for those who wanted Alister and baby Ratchet shenanigans. We're jumping right to the teen angst.**

**Thanks for reading! See you next chapter!**


End file.
